Sunday, April 27, 2008

Note: Next edition of This Week With Barack Obama, April 27-May 3, 2008 will be under the management of Al Rodgers, next Sunday, May 4, 2008. I am in Indiana from Friday through Wednesday, for the crucial Indiana Primary on Tuesday May 6, 2008. I will be working in NW Indiana between Gary, Valparaiso and South Bend. So, give Al the love you give me on this weekly. Peace.

And you question what a hot mess is? One who is all over the place, incoherent, unorganized, don't carish attitude, grasping at the “whatever”. That is the Hillary Clinton we are witnessing right now.

Clinton is now witnessing something she has no control over, it is called “the train is leaving the track without you on board.” Yes, Barack Obama is in General Election mode for November. Obama has decided to start a massive 50 State Voter Registration Drive, he has agreed to work with the DNC to raise money for November, he has changed his tone, rhetoric on the trail and does not even acknowledge Hillary Clinton, he has purchased ads for all the remaining contests through June 3rd, he has started the Obama Organizing Fellows, an organization to train students and recent graduates for the technicalities and organizing needed for the future of the grassroots, more importantly the Democratic Party.

He is taking the steps forward, not backwards or standing in time with Hillary Clinton.

In the meantime, Hillary Clinton is busy trying to get another debate going. Why? Well, we can guess or discuss her reasons. One that pops in my mind is money. There have been questions if she actually raised 10M, because the language in asking this campaign is all over the place. We know she is in debt of at least 15M. And if you really want to know how much a campaign has to spend? Watch what they spend it on and how they do it. You don’t see Clinton in ads up in the remaining contests and her ads in NC and IN are sparse. So, this is a legitimate question. Remember campaigns are measured in two fold, by the message and by money the candidate has to get the message out.

Which brings us to the most comical begging of the campaign, since the kindergate fiasco of the Clinton Campaign. Requesting, asking for another debate in the style of Lincoln and Douglass of the 1860s.

Cough, cough. Umm, why is she asking? We already had 21 debates. If anyone wants to view the former debates go to CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC, or ABCs video archive. All have one. And you can pick and choose for your leisure. So, why another debate? One reason only, exposure, television exposure, and lack of funds. There are some who are stating that Barack should agree to this no holds barred event, with no moderator. I say no. Why?

We have participated in 21 nationally televised debates, the most in primary history, including four exclusively with Senator Clinton. Senator Clinton refused an earlier invitation that had been accepted to debate in North Carolina. Over the next 10 days, we believe it's important to talk directly to the voters of Indiana and North Carolina about fixing our economy, cutting the cost of health care and ending a war in Iraq that never should have been authorized in the first place.

In other words, NO.

So, Hillary Clinton will have to run around in circles, continuing her negative campaigning, screeching about debates, whining about someone or something being unfair, etc. In the meantime, Barack Obama, is transitioning to become the Democratic Nominee and getting ready for John McCain and the Republicans.

As hard as it is with Hillary Clinton still in this race, and she has a right to be, it is time to just focus on McCain and the Republicans. Leave it for the Hillary Clinton campaign to figure out when to get out of this race, if they can.

barack and his heart, michelle, in evansville, in

Voting Registration Deadlines for the Following States and Early Voting Information

Indiana: Early Voting for Indiana is through noon, May 5, 2008. For information of your location for early voting, click here.

North Carolina: One Stop Early Voting is underway through May 3rd, 2008. Look up your One Stop Early Voting Location here.

Oregon: Deadline April 29th. Registration form must be received by April 29th, the downloadable form and where to mail to your county is available here.

Montana: Deadline May 5th. Registration form must be received by May 5th. Registration form and your county address is available here. Additional information is here.

South Dakota: Deadline May 19th. Downloadable form here. Fill out the form on-line, print and send here. List of counties to mail your form is here.

[...snip] Campaign insiders say the senator will do more to stress his humble roots as the scholarship schoolboy son of a single mother. In Indianapolis last week he pledged to "remind people of where I come from. I was raised with far fewer advantages than either of my two remaining opponents." In Kokomo he peppered his rally speech with references to his days as a community organiser in Chicago "helping folk laid off when the steel mills closed". Yet the poise with which he carries himself can seem aloof. There remains a suspicion that he is reluctant to tailor his appeal to those voters who want their president to be someone like them.

Senator Obama is gracing the next cover of GQ magazine, the men's style bible. One quote released by the magazine is revealing: "I'm in this to win and I think I will win. But I'm also going to emerge intact. I'm going to be Barack Obama and not some parody."

I know, I know, this primary season seems to drag on like a bad marriage. Yep, like that.

But, as in life, we must re-energize and double up our efforts to win this nomination. Look at Barack and Michelle!!! Are they sitting back and complaining? No, they are marching forward, as we must all do.

So, now we must regain focus and look towards the fight in the fall. But until we get to that mantle, we must finish off Indiana and North Carolina.

Many in those states are working hard and tirelessly for this campaign. As excited they are about making their statement, they are tired too. So, we must finish this off.

I am going to Indiana on Friday to volunteer for the campaign and won’t get back home until Wednesday. I am lucky and blessed to have family in NW Indiana, who I might add, are working hard to make sure the vote gets out.

So, what can you do? You know what to do.

Pick that phone up and help with the ONE MILLION PHONE CALLS BY MAY 6th DRIVE. That is the LEAST you can do. All the information is provided in the link with script, etc. Believe me, it is not hard, after a few calls you know what to do and say.

Phone banking not your bag. Well, are you close to Indiana or North Carolina? Like to chat and talk to folk in the flesh? Well get over to Indiana or North Carolina, right now. Canvass and help this campaign out. Even work the phones or paperwork in the offices. Every bit counts, not yesterday, but now.

And can’t do either? Well, pull out your credit card/debit card and donate. You can donate as little as $5 to this campaign. Why? Because it is the only people-powered campaign out there. WE OWN THIS CAMPAIGN. We have decided to give Barack and Michelle the front seat, but believe me, they listen to us.

Okay, I have vented enough. But just don’t read this, get up and do something. In the end, you will be glad that you did.

see barack wearing slain soldier sgt. ryan jopek's bracelet given to him by his mother. patriotism is something that should never be a wedge issue, but it is becoming that to divert from the real problems the bush administration has put on the shoulders of this country. patriotism is not a flag pin, it is the individual and what they stand for. we have many in the bush adminstration wearing flag pins, without any meaning or care for this country or its citizens. patriotism is who you are, what you do on a daily basis, following the rules of the land and loving this country. it is not a pin. the republicans need to answer many questions, not on patriotism, but why they allowed this country to become bankrupt, in debt to china, katrina, unable to follow the constitution, and why we are in iraq and what is the real mission. until they can answer these questions and many others on the laundry list, they are the last ones to be pointing a finger at patriotism, because they are definately not examples of the term. as i always close, remember to focus on obama and not the drama....see you in two weeks.

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